I cannot see us getting promoted next season but I'm not at all saying it's impossible. Almost anything could happen (look at Huddersfield). But what would be the best circumstances under which we would get promoted? I'm not exclusively talking about being promoted within the space of the next season. I personally think the best way to do it would be to get some good signings this summer to take us a step forward, then a couple of good signings in the winter, then some more good signings the following summer and a push for promotion in the 2018/19 season. Ideally I think we'd be best of being promoted in the 2019/20 season, in order to allow us time to properly get things stable here. Of course, that's if everything else goes well. We need Ollie to perform this season or get out. I'd give him a fair go. If the results were mixed but ok then I'd let him have the whole season but would sack him if things were still just ok by the end of it. We need managerial stability too! By the time outlined above, we'd have surely gotten rid of the losers like Caulker. I do think it could be done well like that in the space of two seasons. I think doing it this season (even if possible) would result in a team way to weak to cope with the premier league next season. With that said, I wouldn't be crying if we managed it this season. How long do you think QPR needs to fix its problems and be stable enough to get promoted and stay up? 1, 2, 3 seasons? 5 seasons? What other problems need to be fixed before any of that aside from transfers?
Looking at our current squad I can definitely see us getting promoted in two seasons, only problem is it'll be coming back up from league one!!
Face it fellas and Beth, we are a fickle bunch and more than a little prone to be down on our team. A couple of wins and getting into the next round of some cup (anyone will do!) and we will all believe we are on the way to the PL. All it actually takes is for a team of journeymen (and the odd one with some skill) to click and create a winning mentality and Bob's your uncle - or Tony or Ruben as the case may be.
Whatever we do, we can only achieve it if the foundations of management and club are strong. They are the building blocks to success. Everything else comes there after.
We need to develop a team that plays "consistently" and not sinusoidally (i.e. lose six, win six, lose six, etc). The play off target is roughly 10 points from every 6 matches, so it can be achieved by a sequence of only "3 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses (per 6 games)" which seems very achievable and unremarkable. However this points run-rate needs to be maintained for the full 46 games season, hence the need for stability and consistency. I am still sane and do not expect outright promotion, But I would love and expect some consistency, with a continually improving trend. I personally would be pleased if by Christmas (2017) we were within sight of the playoffs (say max 10 points behind the play off zone, i.e. 6th) and then have a very good new year run that pulls us into the play offs as the "in-form team". Achievable - yes. Realistic - we will see. Unfortunately if we will be very inconsistent, then the corollary may apply and please add the "relegation" to the above theorem. Q.E.D.
Look at some of the teams in the Prem now and how they got there. Hard work, team work, loyalty, dedication etc. It's not always enough but it is a start. We were lucky with Zamora's goal in the play off final and may not have been entirely ready for it that year but we deserved to go up in the Adel season and look how soon it all turned to sh*t. Being hard to beat is a bit of a cliché in footballing terms but it has been proven plenty of times for it to make sense. Grinding out a 0-0 away from home on a freezing cold Wednesday in January is just as important as spanking relegation bound minnows. Has Holloway got the team he wants yet? Are there still some lead-swingers to be shifted out of W10 to make way for some grafters?
Fully agree!!! I think that promotion is the relatively "easy part". Even "we", by hook or by crook have recently achieved it twice. The difficult part is the stability and sustainability in the Premiership. Our past attempts have been very disappointing and painful. We need to build a team that will be able to survive in the Premiership. This team will not do this on "skill" level" so it needs to work hard, press, be fast, and most importantly be a "team".